1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an article of footwear and other apparel, especially for use in athletic activity. More specifically, the invention relates to a closure system for an article of footwear. The invention is a customized type closure system that allows the wearer to specifically tailor the fit of a shoe by adjusting the tautness and the attachment location of the closure system.
2. Background Art
Virtually all footwear and many types of apparel includes a closure system. Closure systems are used to tighten a shoe around a foot, hold the shoe in place on the foot, and can provide stabilizing support to the foot. Closure systems for footwear are as varied as the type of footwear that are currently available. For apparel, closure systems secure the flaps of a jacket, seal the cuffs of sleeves or pant legs, and draw any opening in the apparel around the body.
The most common type of closure system for footwear is a lacing system. In a conventional lacing system, a shoelace is strung between two sets of eyelets, one set on each side of a throat of a shoe. Although many lacing conventions are used to lace footwear, typically the shoelace extends from the bottom eyelet of each set to the second most bottom eyelet of the opposite set. The lace extends through the second eyelet and extends toward the third most bottom eyelet of the original set, continuing back and forth until each eyelet of each set of eyelets has been laced. Pulling on the ends of the lace at the top of the eyelet sets will tighten the lace in all the eyelets, drawing the shoe snugly around the foot. Due to friction between the laces and the eyelets, and between the laces and the shoe structure, when a wearer pulls the lace taut, the lace is typically most taut at the end of the eyelets being drawn, and more loose as the laces extend toward the bottom eyelets.
As the shoes are worn, the tautness at the top end of the eyelet sets typically loosens due to the constant flexing of the foot or the minimal force exerted against the laces. Therefore, a wearer may be required to draw the laces too tight when tying the shoe. Unfortunately, the tighter that laces are drawn, the more likely that the laces will cause irritation to the top of the foot. Additionally, laces break, causing the wearer to experience discomfort and inconvenience. Thus, shoes using laces as a closure system require frequent retying in order to maintain a proper fit for the most comfort. Additionally, because the eyelets are in a fixed location, the lacing can not easily be tailored to a specific user, forcing every wearer, regardless of foot shape or sensitivity, to have the laces cross the foot in the exact same place every time the shoe is worn. Thus, lacing tends to be uncomfortable and can be burdensome.
There have, of course, been many attempts to solve the inherent problems associated with conventional lacing systems. One solution proposed by Avia Group International (at the time a subsidiary of the assignee of the present invention) was to have a bilateral lacing system whereby the laces did not cross over the top of the foot. This invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,303 to Selbiger. This solution, while helping with the irritation caused by conventional lacing systems did not alleviate the need to have to tie the shoe. In addition, it did not address the need for a customized closure system.
With the advent of the hook and pile closure came shoes which utilized strapping as closure systems which did not require a shoelace. These closure systems were particularly useful in children's shoes because children could put on their shoes without the need for tying a shoelace. Although closure systems of this type were in some ways an improvement in terms of comfort, they suffered from some of the same problems as lacing systems. Particularly, systems using a hook and pile system typically use a strap which extends across the throat of a shoe. On the end of the strap, a piece of material is sewn which has either a pile material or a hook material. The strap extends across the throat of a shoe and either the pile or hook material on the strap attaches to another piece of material sewn onto the upper of the shoe which has the other of the pile or hook material. The material which has been sewn into the upper is a pile material if the strap has a hook material or a hook material if the strap has a pile material. These hook and pile materials are commercially available from a variety of sources. For example, these materials are sold under the trademark VELCRO.
A problem with shoes made using the above-described material is that the shoe closure system can still cause irritation and discomfort due to the multiple layers of material necessary to use and apply the hook and pile configuration. For instance, at the point of attachment of the strap to the upper, there is at least the upper material, the pile material, the hook material and the strap material. When stacked together, the attachment is bulky and unwieldy.
In addition, these systems do not adequately address the problem of customization of the closure system. A wearer can adjust the tightness of the shoe, but the strap can be connected to the upper only at the specific point at which the attaching material is sewn. Thus, a wearer cannot customize the closure system by adjusting the point of attachment, forcing every shoe wearer to wear the strap across the throat of the shoe at the same point, regardless of foot condition, shape or sensitivity.
The most common types of closure systems used in apparel other than footwear is zippers, buttons and snaps. Zippers allow sides of openings to be secured together. For instance, in a jacket, the opening typically extends up the center of the body from the jacket waist to the jacket neck. Zippers include teeth that must align properly in order for a zipper to properly function. Accordingly, the zipper is started at one end, and the teeth engage in order until they are all engaged.
Zippers allow no custom closing of the jacket flaps. One cannot draw a zipper more or less tight. The tightness of the jacket around an individual will be fixed by the location of the zipper. Although one may zip a zipper a desired distance, such as half-way, tightness of the jacket around a wearer's body cannot be adjusted.
Snaps and buttons are also often used as closure systems. Like zippers, snaps and buttons offer no customization of the closure system. Buttons or snaps, on one flap of a jacket for instance, must align properly with button-holes or corresponding snaps on the other flap of the jacket. Although a button can be inserted through any one button-hole, and snaps can be snapped to a non-aligned snap, buttons, button-holes and snaps do not allow for customization by drawing the apparel more or less tight around the wearer's body.
What is needed is a closure system for footwear that allows a wearer to adjust the location of the attachment of the strap across the throat and heel, so that a wearer can make personal, customized adjustments to the attachment location of the straps of the closure system while still providing sufficient support for the foot. Additionally, what is needed is a closure system for apparel that allows a wearer to make personal, customized adjustments to the closure system so the wearer may draw the apparel about the wearer's body to provide a customized fit. Additionally, what is needed is a closure system that uses the customization to provide maximum comfort, while still providing a simple and non-bulky closure system.